Quiz: Howstuffworks

How Much Do You Know About the Famous Warriors and Commanders of WWII?

Heather Cahill

This commander was part of the Indian Army at one point. Who is he?

Claude Auchinleck

Jan Baalsrud

Douglas Lidderdale

Mark W. Clark

Claude Auchinleck not only served in the Indian Army but also in the North African Army. His knack for leading was noticed by Winston Churchill, who was prime minister at the time, which led to Auchinleck's assignments to the different armies.

Who was a commander of the Mediterranean fleet in World War II?

Alphonse Juin

Jack Churchill

Ira C. Eaker

Andrew Cunningham

Not only did Andrew Cunningham protect the others from danger, but he also directed rescues after major battles as well. For example, the rescue after the Battle of Crete was led by Cunningham.

Which commander was part of the royal family?

Omar Bradley

William Overstreet Jr.

Louis Mountbatten

James Hill

Louis Mountbatten was part of the royal family, but also commanded a ship in the Navy called the HMS Kelly. Did you know that he was a grandson of Queen Victoria?

This hero started a charity after the war. Who is he?

Leonard Cheshire

Tommy Macpherson

Dirk Vlug

Charles Joseph Coward

Leonard Cheshire was a decorated pilot in World War II who completed many assignments. After the war, he decided to start a charity for disabled veterans, which is still in service today.

Is it true or false that Llewellyn Chilson received more than 10 medals for his war efforts?

True

False

This is true. Chilson was very skilled on the battlefield; he was once captured and got himself out of it. His skill in the army was what helped him earn medals as well as make it out alive.

Who was nicknamed the "Ghost"?

Matt Urban

James Hill

Charles Joseph Coward

Claude Auchinleck

Matt Urban was a true trooper in World War II. Despite being extremely injured, all he wanted to do was get straight back into battle with his soldiers. When he did, they gave him this nickname!

What did Havildar Lachhiman Gurung lose?

His gun

His tank

His arm

His family

Despite being badly injured by losing his arm and taking wounds to many other places, Gurung was able to shoot and defend himself from many enemy soldiers and survived the entire ordeal.

This commander was also the 34th President of the United States. Who is he?

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Warren Crecy

Richard Bong

Tommy Macpherson

The president has a lot to do with the actions of the army. But Eisenhower did not take office until after World War II. During the war, the president at the time was Roosevelt, who made Eisenhower the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

Which commander was held as a prisoner of war?

Audie Murphy

Chester W. Nimitz

Alphonse Juin

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Alphonse Juin was unfortunately held as a prisoner of war but was later released. The army commander got back to business pretty quickly by finishing off the war in North Africa as well as Italy.

Witold Pilecki fought for which country?

Poland

United States

Japan

France

Pilecki was part of the Polish Army and very against the Nazi forces. Like others, he worked as a spy for Poland and got himself imprisoned in Auschwitz in order to gain more information.

Which general led the most amount of men in the American forces during World War II?

Leonard Cheshire

Aubrey Cosens

Eileen Nearne

Omar Bradley

Omar Bradley had a lot of power in the military at the time of World War II. Being in charge of 1.3 million people is not easy, but he put his best effort forward.

Of the following, which person was known for trying to assassinate Hitler?

Richard Bong

Warren Crecy

Claus von Stauffenberg

Jack Churchill

Claus was part of the German Army, despite not agreeing with Hitler's ways. Along with other officers who were against the Nazis, Stauffenberg decided to try and assassinate Hitler to put an end to everything. It was unsuccessful, and Claus was killed.

What did Charles Joseph Coward famously do?

Become a lieutenant

Take control of many enemy ships

Sneak in and out of Auschwitz

Assassinate Hitler

Charles was both captured and sent to Auschwitz as well as having snuck in himself. In addition to that, he was also able to help many prisoners escape from the camp.

Which person became a general right after the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Douglas Bader

Matt Urban

Chester W. Nimitz

Dirk Vlug

Chester W. Nimitz had a big job to do when he became a commander. The Japanese forces had just staged a successful attack, and Nimitz had to make sure that no more attacks happened again.

Can you name the branch of the Navy that William Overstreet Jr. was part of?

The Air Force

The Marines

The Coast Guard

The Navy

William Overstreet Jr. was actually a very talented pilot. Did you know that he chased a German plane underneath the Eiffel Tower? Not many people would be brave enough to complete this feat.

One of these commanders took part in the Solomon Islands campaign. Who was it?

Frank Fletcher

Claude Auchinleck

Charles Portal

Hugh Dowding

Frank Fletcher was part of this and many other battles during World War II. He commanded Task Force 17 as well as many other ships.

Which branch of the military was Ira C. Eaker part of?

The Marines

The Navy

The Air Force

The Coast Guard

Ira Eaker was part of the Air Force, where he was a commander of the Eighth Air Force. Throughout World War II, his positions changed, but his spirit and attitude both stayed the same.

Charles Portal was a commander in which branch of the military?

The Marines

The Coast Guard

The Air Force

The Navy

Charles Portal was a member of the Air Force, and he had a strong belief in using strategic bombing, something that was later phased out. Did you know that Charles was also knighted by the Queen of England?

What British pilot was known for the feat of shooting down 20 aircraft during World War II?

Andrew Cunningham

Louis Mountbatten

Douglas Bader

Charles de Gaulle

Douglas Bader was fearless pilot who was in his fair share of plane crashes. When it came to flying, he knew what to do and how to do it, enabling him to serve his country by taking down enemy planes.

Is it true or false that Richard Bong was known for being a very talented pilot?

True

False

This is true. Richard Bong was one of the best there was when it came to piloting a warplane. Over 40 enemy planes went down at his hands, but near the end of the war, he passed away due to a plane failure.

Of the following commanders, who was also the leader of France?

Charles de Gaulle

Matt Urban

Frank Fletcher

Witold Pilecki

Charles de Gaulle took his position as the leader of France as World War II was starting to come to a close. Throughout the war, one thing always held true for de Gaulle, which was that he never wanted to give up on fighting.

What did Dirk Vlug achieve in World War II?

He operated the warplane that was the hardest to handle.

He became the greatest warrior of the Second World War.

He took down 5 enemy tanks.

He was the most decorated soldier in the war.

Dirk Vlug completed an incredible feat on Leyte while he was standing guard. He fearlessly took on five Japanese tanks on his own, defeating every last one of them.

Which fighter from the Second World War had the most medals of any other soldier in the United States military?

Fazal Din

Arthur Harris

Carl Spaatz

Audie Murphy

Audie Murphy started out as a simple recruit to the army, but he quickly proved himself through the medals that he earned. After returning to the United States, he was hailed as a hero and became an actor.

What was the name of Charles Carpenter's plane?

Rosie the Rocketeer

Billy the Bludgeoner

Terry the Trigger

Carrie the Creeper

Charles and his plane Rosie were a force to be reckoned with. Charles modified his plane by adding more and more weapons onto it, and the work paid off. He was able to eliminate many enemy vehicles with his warplane.

What nickname was the famous Tommy Macpherson given?

The Kilted Killer

The Persistent Pilot

The Charming Combatant

The Saavy Sailor

He got his name from his Scottish heritage and his skill on the battlefield. He was known to use quick thinking and incredible combat to take out enemies upon their approach.

James Hill did what in North Africa?

Single-handedly took out many enemy tanks

Joined the enemies' army

Met with the Queen

Worked on an aircraft carrier

Although it is a difficult feat, James Hill was able to defend himself and his people from the enemy tanks. He did so by shooting into the tanks, though one of them injured him in the process.

What was Aubrey Cosens famous for?

Being a skilled military commander

Leading the largest amount of men

Taking prisoners alone

Operating the largest fleet of battleships

Aubrey Cosens was a Canadian soldier who went into a series of buildings and single-handedly took on everyone inside. Some were killed, while he held others as prisoners, but upon leaving, he was killed as well.

What weapon helped Warren Crecy defend himself?

A sword

A grenade

A cannon

A machine gun

A machine gun was all Warren Crecy needed to defend himself on the battlefield. After being attacked, he picked up the machine gun and took out the German soldiers. Did you know that he was part of the 761st Tank Battalion, better known as the first all-black unit?

Fritz Christen manned what weapon on his own?

A cannon

A sword

A flamethrower

A plane

Fritz Christen was a German soldier who was fought during the Second World War. He defended himself for days while thirsty and starving from enemies, all while trying to find extra ammo.

Is it true or false that Eileen Nearne was a spy during the war?

True

False

This is true. Eileen was a very brave individual at the time of the war who endured a lot through her spy activities. She was tortured, but she also stayed loyal to Britain and never revealed anything.

What weapon did Fazal Din use to kill the officers attacking him?

A sword

A hand gun

A shotgun

A tank

Fazal Din fought on despite being attacked and critically injured by a Japanese officer's sword. With that same sword, he attacked the Japanese officer and trudged on, but he eventually passed from the wounds.

Of the following, who was trying to retire but asked to stay for the Battle of Britain?

Douglas Bader

Claude Auchinleck

Hugh Dowding

John Rabe

Hugh was a great asset to the army in World War II, especially when it came to the Battle of Britain. If he had retired, there is no telling what would have went down in the famous battle.

Which famous commander is nicknamed "Monty"?

Erwin Rommel

Eddie Slovik

Bernard Montgomery

Gail Halvorsen

Bernard Montgomery was a legendary commander honored for his efforts in World War II through receiving many awards. A few of the battles that he took part in were the Battle of Dunkirk and the Invasion of Germany.

A commander planned the Invasion on Normandy. Who was it?

George Marshall

Leonard Cheshire

Charles Carpenter

Fazal Din

George Marshall had a lot to do with the success of the Allies in World War II. He did lots of planning behind the scenes and received a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

Who was known as "Mad Jack"?

Aubrey Cosens

Witold Pilecki

William Overstreet, Jr.

Jack Churchill

"Mad Jack" Churchill was a member of the British Army and known for his fierceness in battle. During the battle of Dunkirk, he used a long bow as opposed to the machine guns and bombs that were used all around him.

About This Quiz

From the presidents who gave orders to the soldiers on the battlefield, there were many important people during the time of World War II. The heroes on the battlefield fought their hardest to save innocent people and protect their fellow soldiers. As WWII was one of the deadliest wars in history, some made it through the conflict, but many did not. Honored by memory, their names and faces will never be forgotten. If you know about the most famous of them all, then this is the quiz for you.

To start, you'll want to know your stuff about the military: the branches, the ranks and other facts about it. Then you'll want to know the people: what they did, what they were most known for and who they were are all important things to recognize. Names like Louis Mountbatten, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jack Churchill are all quite notable at the time of the Second World War. Think of the pilots, sailors and combat experts who fought long and hard for their countries.

Military and World War II experts, you'll be sure to ace this one with ease. Remember the warriors and commanders of one of the largest wars in history with this quiz!

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